(A small note of context. The original version of this manifesto was penned sometime in late 2006, early 2007, as a response to my churches involvement in the Call Nashville conference July 7th, 2007. )
These days there has been a strong move among our brothers, sisters, and institutional leadership to follow a spirit that is mobilizing the body of Christ to action and prayerful intercession over what is supposed to be the spiritual realms of nation states. These movements are visibly infused and rife with nationalistic pride, state flags, and partisan rhetoric. Though I believe that many of the motivations of those leading these movements are pure, that their intentions are not to bring harm, it can not be escaped that the ultimate finale to the prayers that are prayed, and the lobbying that is done, leads conclusively to that of a Pharisaical fascist state. (Fascism defined here as a form of state government which will tolerate only one single expression or identity within the realms of its power, legalistic authority, and everyday public life, in order to unify its citizens. Diversity is a sin in such a state.)
When we contrast this with the life of Jesus I believe it is impossible to draw the conclusion that a state and society such as this was the hope, plan, and desire He had for His disciples and followers. Consider that the political party of the pharisees was a party whose agenda was comprised of righteousness, holiness, and piety on both an individual and national level. These pharisees were not the old man religious killjoys that popular notion has made them out to be; they were people, young people, whose zeal for God's word, the anticipation of His promises to be fulfilled, and whose passion for the destiny over the people who were called by His name fostered a revival and restoration of the Jewish identity that we still feel the effects of today. ...but those very fervent and passionate fundamentalists missed their God, whom they worshipped and adored, when He came and dwelt among them.
My brothers and sisters, as I watch our gatherings in sports stadiums and national lawns continue to dip further and further into the rhetoric of 'us and them,' 'holiness,' 'biblical truth,' and what to my observation appears dangerously close to christian sorcery (where the power of God is invoked to accomplish our will over and against the will of others), we too are in danger of walking this same path that has been tread by our Pharisaical forebearers.
When we gather and rally – hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands strong – on the steps and thresholds of the seats of power in attempts to influence the steering of the ships of state to reflect a standard of living and personal piety that we're comfortable with regardless of how the people affected by these laws feel, we may find ourselves standing on the same foundation that the pharisees of Jesus day did.
Do you fear the retribution of an angry God because citizens of a secular state who prefer their same gender are given equal rights under the law?
Do you tremble with trepidation in anticipation of a vengeful deity's wrath because the laws of the land have defined the boundaries of the individual's reproductive rights?
Do you believe that the imaginary lines that we draw on our material representations of this earth really serve to justify the separation, segregation, conflicts, and war that they cause?
Do you believe that the Body of Christ is the Church or do you believe that the church is the Body of Christ?
Do you believe that the end is near or do you believe in God's Kingdom come?
When we hold intercession services on street corners, in public forums, or on the roadsides, why should we expect God to move on our behalf when he has quite clearly told us that people who practise theses things have already received their reward in full?
My brothers and sisters, you who have poured out your heart and tears for years over the successive loss of generations, do not despair! You are right to believe that God would see these things come to an end, but as we pursue the heart of God we must be very careful to not repeat the sin of our ancestors, who, in an attempt to become like God, took matters into their own hands.
Is not our God capable of shutting down every single abortion clinic with the snap of His fingers? Is He not able to conform all of creation to perfect holiness through the sheer force of His will? Certainly, there is nothing in all of creation that is beyond Him and yet these things persist. I ask you then; how is this not idolatry, when we look towards, elevate, and appeal to our secular governments to use their power to do what God Himself will not even do?
But if we judge ourselves by our actions, we cannot even claim to want to bring an end to things like abortion. From my observation, all of our energy and momentum in our anti-abortion movements has been put into making the act illegal, pressing for severe penalties to be enacted on all participants with force by the state at our behest. And while we march in unison, thousands of voices strong, before our seats of government with hope that we might bend them to our will, our efforts, energy, and influence are felt very little in the three major areas where those at risk to choose abortion reside: rape victims, teenagers, and poverty stricken single mothers.
To illustrate this point, a friend of mine named "Bitsy" shared with me this story where she was obstructed from getting to her place of work in Ottawa one day due to the thousands of pro-lifers flooding the street as they slowly walked towards Parliament. Having grown up in the church she knew these people well. Frustrated, she climbed onto a nearby park bench and cried out to the crowd, gaining the attention of all who would pay her heed. "Show of hands: how many people here want to bring an end to abortion in Canada?" All in earshot cheered and raised their hands. Nodding her head, Bitsy asked her follow up question, "Show of hands: how many people here have ever taken an at-risk teenaged single mom into their home in order to provide her with an alternative choice to having an abortion?" There were no cheers this time. No raised hands. Just silence, ignorance, and down turned faces. Bitsy jumped down from her park bench with the simple damning observation, "That's what I thought."
I tell this story to illustrate a trend. There were thousands of us walking on parliament hill that day, many from across the country who would have come at great personal expense. And these thousands of us did not arrive by accident: we were taught and formed into this mass of being. And if this is who we are, who we are taught to be, a people who only concern themselves with the role of government when it comes to the question of how public an individual's sin is, how are we not like those people who were obsessed with a form of holiness in Jesus day in age, those people whom He called whitewashed tombs?
My brothers and sisters, if this sounds harsh or too close to home please understand the severity and utmost importance with which we must consider this path that we as a body are walking down, lest we find ourselves, under the guise of national piety, standing with the one who accuses in defiance to the one who lead us to repentance by His kindness.
The church that cuts itself off from earth and separates itself from the people who inhabit it in the name of 'holiness' is not what I believe in.
The church that finds itself needing to have more parishioners in pews, guilted into paying tithes so that the board can pay the bills is not what I believe in.
The church that propagates hierarchical, autocratic, and unquestionable leadership is not what I believe in.
However, these I do believe in:
I believe in a people whose ideas of godly 'boundaries' involve bringing people into their house when they have nowhere else to go, sharing their food with those who are hungry, sharing their clothes with those who are naked, sharing their work with the unemployed, sharing their families with those who have none.
I believe in a people for whom the term ”go to church” is an impossible construction in their vocabulary, just as it is impossible for us to "go to christian" in ours: We are church.
I believe in a people who are not so much concerned about the security of their eternal destination as they are about how their lives today affect eternity.
I believe in a people who believe that the means will justify the end.
I believe in a people who do not fear the enemy, his power, or his influence because they know they are under the power and influence of one who is greater than our enemy.
I believe in a people who aren't afraid of their own God.
I believe in a people who are intensely involved in the politics of the communities they live in, not with intention to impose their theology on others, but rather to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute; to speak up and judge fairly, to defend the rights of the poor and needy.
I believe in a people whose politics are not divisive, who do not have an "us versus them mentality." But rather, in as much as it depends on them, a people who live at peace with everyone.
I believe in the people of God who do not justify gross and heinous actions based on imaginary lines on a map, who do not wave state flags in acts of worship to God, and do not try to align themselves and influence the powers of this day and age in order to subjugate an unbelieving world into a puritanical utopia; a form of godliness devoid of God.
My brothers and sisters, if this resonates with you then rejoice and lift up to our Father those who are caught up in the snare of our enemy. Love unconditionally. When we approach our brothers and sisters who are sincere in their belief that they are accomplishing the work of God by lopping off ears in the garden, let our actions be first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit. Let's be impartial, and not hypocritical, least we ourselves become like those Jesus stood toe to toe with.
No comments:
Post a Comment